Reign
| size = Small city | languages = Common | races = | ethnic groups = Sinlarine | religion = Artemicia (Third Age) | factions = | ageoftga = }} Reign is a city of worship. It used to be the second home to the Locken monarchy of Libaterra, though the last monarch never visited it. It is the chosen spot for the first Temple of the Unknown God; a church set up for the worship of any god in the Third Age. Contains: Palace, Temple of the Unknown God, Tombs, Graveyards, Bardic circle, Druid's altar, Ranger's encampments, Colosseum, markets, farming communities, monuments, Enchanter's, Spirit Chaser (Medium), Inns, Public houses, Red light district. History Third Age Distreyd Era Reign was built on the site of the first great battle in Libaterra's history and was thought of as "the city of ghosts", as it was supposedly the most haunted location on the continent. Because it was considered a holy ground, the first Temple of the Unknown God was built there as a neutral ground for worshippers of any given deity. At some point several thieves and assassins settled into the city due to seeing profit in living there, and among these were the Union Workers, the Order of the Black Rose and the Dwarven Triad. The city used to be the second home to the Locken Dynasty who often spent summers there in the royal mansion. This tradition ended when King Samiel Locken and Queen Fara Locken were ambushed by bandits who took their lives while they were returning from the estate to Lutherin. The bandits were accused of having been working for a growing separatist faction known as the Rebels, and Reign sided with the Locken Loyalists who supported the slain royal couple's heir Shyla Locken in the Libaterran Civil War. By late 1000 AE, Reign was conquered by the Rebels who used it as a staging ground to launch an assault on Lutherin itself in a bid to take over the Loyalist capital. By 1001 AE, the Rebels in turn were driven out by the invading army of the Yamato Empire which took over Reign and all neighbouring cities in the following months. Reign was liberated by the Grand Alliance late in the Great War only to suffer during the Reactor Core Explosion and the Faerfolc Rampage which devastated the Libaterran countryside. With both the Alliance and Yamato having left Libaterra on its own in the chaotic aftermath, Reign resolved to fight to survive while marauders, deserters and brigands filled the countryside in the resulting power vacuum. Godslayer Era The population of the town grew after the Cataclysm, and it turned into a busy city thanks to its healthy trading with various neighbouring cities, including Alent as well as support from the Clergy of Artemicia. The Crafty Crow inn was built in the city and became a famous safe haven for people from all walks of life as it acted a neutral meeting ground for different criminal organizations as well as legitimate customers. The Day of the Damned festival in late summer 1017 AE ended up in a disaster when during the judging of criminals the Dwarven Triad made its presence known and helped cast a spell which made a magic crystal burst from the ground. The crystal contained what appeared to be a confused Yamatian girl, Haruko Mizushima, but it soon turned out that the girl had the goddess Laverna trapped in her body. The ritual only succeeded partly and took a more sinister turn when the travelling adventurers Javan al-Kassis and Razravkar Dominus tackled the shaman Corwin Finian who was performing a magical dance which was part of the ritual. This sudden interruption caused a rupture in magic, allowing vengeful spirits of the dead to attack the living until they vanished. The city also came under assault by a griffin and the god Shakkan who had come to claim Haruko before Artemicia's intervention forced them to leave. Once the dust had settled, there were several injured or dead people lying around everywhere, and Haruko as well as the Triad and the Union who had stolen her during the chaos were nowhere to be found. The damage caused by the summoning of Haruko would take a long time to repair. Reign, weakened by the events of the Day of the Damned, decided to side with the Crimson Coalition after the Clergy of Artemicia had increased its presence in the region and revealed that the Coalition was serving Shyla Locken, the long-lost Queen whom the people of Reign had once served. Despite Reign's new allegiance, many citizens, particularly the more shady criminal organizations populating the city, were displeased by the strict laws of Glaurung Losstarot and her Coalition cohorts who tried to keep peace and cull criminal elements from the city. People became even more agitated as the Coalition's armies resupplied at the city as they marched towards Alent to participate in the Battle of Alent, which left Reign's treasury quite empty as well as diminished its food supply while a harsh winter was upon them. Fourth Age Interim Years By the time news of the Coalition's defeat at the Battle of Alent became widely spread and the Catastrophe struck the continent and ushered in the Fourth Age, the citizens of Reign rebelled, fueled by malicious whispers from the criminal elements that Shyla Locken's existence had only ever been part of the Coalition's elaborate propaganda campaign. In the resulting insurrection many citizens lost their lives but ultimately the Coalition's garrison was brought down and any Coalition sympathizers were either lynched or driven out of the city. The power of the Clergy of Artemicia diminished greatly in the chaotic months due to them being known Coalition sympathizers. During this time, several criminal organizations were also crippled in the resulting power struggle, allowing new gangs to take over the local underworld. Despite the victory, Reign was not only damaged but this time had little left of its treasury and food supply which the Coalition had consumed for its campaign against Alent. It was during this time that the city was approached by delegates from the growing city of Valencia to the northwest. Valencia and its paladins offered protection for Reign if it joined them. Despite some wishing to remain independent, the majority agreed to the terms to survive the winter. Over the following two decades, Reign's food supply and infrastructure recovered, and the city found its alliance with Valencia quite rewarding. Although some in the city still believe that Reign would be better off on its own instead of being part of the Kingdom of Valencia, the majority still view the Valencian King Derek I and his paladins as useful allies against the growing interests of neighbouring nations. Although Valencia has brought order and stability to Reign, some criminal elements persist in the city, still plotting to expand their area of influence now that they no longer have to worry about the strict laws of the Coalition any longer. Demographics The city has a sizable Sinlarine population, many of their kind living there when they're not wandering around. It is where the Sinlarine's ghost festivals are held, and their choice to locate to the city may well be because of the large number of tombs and graveyards within. An annual week-long festival called the Day of the Damned is held in the city in late summer, and it's one of the busiest times of the year for merchants who flock into the city to sell their wares. Landmarks *Crafty Crow *Judgement Square *Temple of the Unknown God Notable people Third Age Fourth Age See also *Clergy of Artemicia *Day of the Damned *House of Locken *Libaterra Map (Distreyd Era) *Valencia Category:Cities in Libaterra Category:Libaterra Category:Settlements in Valencia Category:Valencia